GUEST COLUMN: Helping people is why I do this job, by Ashfield MP Gloria De Piero

Mill Lane in Huthwaite has been a source of complaint for months because of the poor state of the road and fears that it was so poorly lit there was an accident waiting to happen.

After sending letters urging action, working with local district councillor Lee Anderson and even meeting with council highways staff, I am delighted to tell you that re-surfacing work on the road is well underway, while new street lighting is also to be installed. An excellent outcome for the residents.

Problems with benefit payments are one of the main complaints that constituents contact me with and I am so pleased that I can help the vulnerable people affected.

When a lady from Kirkby who cares for her sick daughter got in touch because of a problem she was having claiming for carers’ allowance, I immediately took up her case.

I contacted the DWP and just two weeks later the lady started receiving the much-needed payments. I hope this helps relieve even a little of the stress that she must have experienced in the months before.

A Skegby man who has severe learning disabilities also recently found that he was not getting the benefits he should have been.

He had not received his Employment Support Allowance for five months and after trying every other avenue, his support worker contacted me.

I contacted the DWP to see why he was not getting this money and just five days later he was backpaid all of the money he had been owed, which was brilliant.

Another fantastic result came about after a mum of two young children got in touch because of a problem she was having with parking outside her Huthwaite home.

Her baby daughter has a life threatening condition and has to breathe oxygen from a tank.

The fact that the family cannot always park outside their house meant that this lady sometimes had to carry her daughter and all her medical equipment from the car to her house, which could be over 100 metres away.

I wrote to Nottinghamshire County Council and as a result, a disabled parking bay has now been marked outside their property for them to use.

I’m here to be at your service so please call or email me if you have a problem – 01623 720399 or email [email protected].